Operation: HEADLESS
by Numbuh 88
Summary: A KND version of "Sleepy Hollow." Full credit for the story goes to Darthwill3.
1. Chapter 1

CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR

A fanfic written by Numbuh 88

Original story idea by Darthwill

* * *

NOW LOADING...

KIDS NEXT DOOR MISSION

OPERATION: H.E.A.D.L.E.S.S.

* * *

Horrifying

Evil

And

Decapitated

Lunatic

Erroneously

Steals

Souls

* * *

CHAPTER 1

It was very late the night it all started.

Fanny Fulbright, also known as Numbuh 86 to her Kids Next Door peers, was sleeping soundly that night. Although Fanny was widely known as one of the meanest members in the all-kid organization, she loved Rainbow Monkeys more than anything else, and filled her room with them.

The greatly-hyped stuffed toys were said to each be made of a big rainbow and filled with rainbow-riffic love. It was a great irony that such a hot-tempered girl would have so many Rainbow Monkeys.

However, all that love could not prevent what happened that night. As Fanny slept on, a short cloaked figure appeared outside the open window. With incredible stealth despite the spurs on its boots, the short cloaked figure entered the girl's bedroom, and quickly brandished a long, sharp sword.

But the sword was not aimed at young Fanny, but at the many Rainbow Monkeys that decorated her room.

Less than a minute later, the cloaked figure dropped from the window into the lawn below. There, waiting for it was a forbidding horse-like figure with demonic red eyes and a spiral horn on its forehead. The short cloaked figure mounted the horse-creature and rode off into the misty night.

That very morning, Fanny awoke from her slumber. The sight she beheld caused her to scream loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood. Every one of her Rainbow Monkeys was right where she left them, except for one crucial detail...

Their heads were missing.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

It was later in the afternoon when Numbuh 86's fellow Kids Next Door were at her house investigating the scene. But much to her dismay, it was her least favorite group: Sector V. The group's dismay was equal to Fanny's as they been berated endlessly by the cranky Scottish girl.

Of all the five members of Sector V, only Kuki Sanban (aka Numbuh 3) shared Numbuh 86's horror for the "crime scene," for she also shared Fanny's undying love for Rainbow Monkeys. This has caused great annoyance to Kuki's teammate Wallabee Beatles (aka Numbuh 4) for nothing annoyed him more. But despite this, Wally has secretly harbored great feelings for Kuki but never had the courage to tell her.

The group's leader, Numbuh 1 (aka Nigel Uno) was questioning Numbuh 86 about what happened while Kuki and Wally investigated the decapitated stuffed toys, whose cotton innards littered the floor of Fanny's room.

"Any idea of who would do this?" Numbuh 1 asked Numbuh 86.

"None," said Fanny, still horrified. "It can't have been my dad. He may be an evil adult but he would never do such a thing!"

"Are you kiddin'?" yelled Wally. "Maybe he got so sick of these cruddy little eyesores he finally snapped."

"Numbuh 4!" Kuki yelled. "Don't you dare speak like that! Especially after something like this!"

"Yeah, unless you want me to pound you so hard you'll think you're a Rainbow Monkey!" Fanny said, barely containing her rage.

"What about your brothers?" Nigel said, getting in between Numbuhs 4 and 86.

"They wouldn't dare!" Fanny said. "They know I'd squish them like peas if they so much as set foot in here! But I love them."

At that moment, Sector V's two other members entered the room. They were Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5 (Hoagie P. Gilligan & Abigail Lincoln).

"I looked over the whole house and nothin'," said Abby. "No sign of the heads."

"Same here," Hoagie added. "I even checked the trash outside. Nothing, not even a scrap of cotton."

"So," said Nigel, "Whoever did this must have taken the heads with them. But why?"

"AARGH! Who cares?!" Numbuh 4 shouted. "This is a waste of time! I'm outta here!"

Wally stormed out of Fanny's house grumbling about how much he thought this whole investigation was pointless. After a couple of blocks Numbuh 4 arrived at the Sector V treehouse. He went into his room with intent to take his frustration on his punching bag, but much to his surprise he found a note impaled to the wall by a large candy cane. At that moment, his teammates entered the room.

"There you are!" Numbuh 1 said with scorn. "Do you realize what your attitude..."

Nigel suddenly noticed the candy cane with the note on the wall. It obvious to him and his team who sent that note, but what was it about? Numbuh 1 took the note off the wall, read it, and turned to his his team.

"It seems we have an unlikely ally" he said.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

That very night, the kids of Sector V went to the local port where Stickybeard's ship, the Sweet Revenge, was moored. Its candy-striped sails were raised and tied, but when lowered they gave the ship an aura that was ridiculous and at the same time, intimidating.

"I dunno Numbuh 1," said Hoagie. "Was it really such a good idea to come unarmed?"

"I admit it's risky, Numbuh 2," Nigel said. "But the note said to come unarmed. If Stickybeard is willing to help than we'll have to take our chances."

At that moment, Stickybeard's twin, squat crewmen named Chewy and Gooey steeped from the shadows and approached the kids.

"The _capitain_ will see you now," they said in unison.

The two short crewmen led the kids onto the ship. While on deck the ship's shifty crew eyed the kids with contempt but they all stayed where they were. The few seconds it took to reach the door to the captain's cabin felt like an eternity to the kids, having to walk by so many candy pirates and not fight them.

Numbuh 1 knocked on the door of the captain's cabin, and a chill went down his spine as a salty, rasping voice allowed them to enter. The door creaked open to reveal a large bed in the corner, a desk at the wall covered with old maps and in the middle of the room, a table covered with candy. And sitting at the table was the unmistakable sight of Stickybeard himself.

"Evening, lads and lassies," the captain said. His breath smelled of sugar and peppermint. "Care for some candy?"

"Oh, thank you!" Numbuh 3 eagerly shouted. But Nigel put her arm in Kuki's path and gave her a stern look.

"Remember why we're here, Numbuh 3," said Numbuh 1.

"O-Okay."

"Enough with the pleasantries, Stickybeard. Tell us why we're here," Numbuh 1 said with an authoritative tone.

"Yeah!" said Numbuh 4. "Before we beat the crud outta you!"

Stickybeard chuckled. "Of course, of course. The reason is, I know what happened to the heads of those so-called Rainbow Monkeys that the wee cranky lassie was bemoanin' about."

"Hold on!" Numbuh 5 blurted. "How do you know about that?!"

"Oh, please!" Stickybeard said while twisting his finger in his ear. "Ye think I didn't hear that scream of hers?!"

"Numbuh 5, please don't interrupt," Nigel said.

"Anyway, as I was sayin'," Stickybeard continued. "Those heads were taken. Taken back to you-know-where by a foul demonic creature that lives only to decapitate any innocent stuffed kiddie's toy," he paused before continuing...

"The... HEADLESS MONKEY!"

All of the kids but Numbuh 4 stood stunned at this new information. Wally simply produced a puzzled sneer.

"And just how could that be possible?" Numbuh 2 asked.

"Quite simple," Stickybeard said.

"I was there..."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"It was 30 years ago," Stickybeard said while sucking on his peppermint sword. "I was a janitor at the Ajax chemicals factory. I was a teenage lad with a great taste for candy, and it was just after I quit being Black John Licorice's cabin boy. One day, the factory was holding a school field trip. I remember being quite annoyed by the presence of so many bratty children."

"But one in particular stands out. She was a 12-year old girl with green eyes and lovely blond hair," the captain continued. "And under one arm she carried a red Rainbow Monkey and under the other, a plastic unicorn."

"Gross," Numbuh 4 said. Numbuh 3 immediately shushed him.

Stickybeard continued his story. "I was just cleanin' the floor near the platform where the class was walking through. Then the cook came heading for the mess hall. He had his new machete in his hand, which I haven't a clue why he needed one. The cook was in a hurry to get to the mess hall and failed to see the "Wet Floor" sign I had put up and he slipped, sending his machete flying through the air!"

"It went straight for the girl with the monkey and unicorn, but I rushed over and pushed her out of the way! However, I did not walk away unscathed as ye can plainly see."

Stickybeard showed his peppermint hook and peg leg. How he got them was no longer a mystery.

"But it didn't end there," Stickybeard continued. "that same machete hacked off the head of the lass's Rainbow Monkey, and both it, the unicorn and the machete fell into the giant vat of chemicals below."

"Later that night, there were serious consequences. I got a serious disability insurance policy and left to find a new job. The cook was fired for causin' all that excitement, and the lass's parents were rich so they got her new toys. As for the monkey head it was thrown into the garbage and that should have been the end of it."

"Or so everyone thought. Weeks later, the night shift claimed they heard bubblin' come from that very same vat where the headless monkey, unicorn and machete were supposedly dissolved. Now, bubblin' in a chemical vat is no surprise, but it became more and more violent, the platform shook, sparks flew and the security cameras showed static! Finally, accordin' to one of the janitors, a black, caped figure riding a giant, dark steed and wielding a sword in what looked like a tail sprang from the vat! It caused much destruction in the factory before ridin' off into the night, but didn't seriously injure anybody."

"But now, it has returned. The Headless Monkey has come back to decapitate any Rainbow Monkey it finds!"

"Right," said Numbuh 1. "Thank you for the information, but I see it's been a waste of time."

"Numbuh 1's right," Kuki said. "How could a Rainbow Monkey ever turn evil?"

"Aah, scoff if ye must," the captain said with frustration. "You're all free to go, but don't say ol' Stickybeard didn't warn ye!"

The kids turned and exited the captain's cabin, all but Numbuh 4 wearing expressions of disbelief. Wally was the only one who was scared from what he heard from Stickybeard's story, although he didn't tell his teammates.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

That same night, all of Sector V returned to their treehouse and went to bed, but Numbuh 4 was the only one who couldn't sleep. Stickybeard's story had gotten to him more than he expected, although he kept asking himself why a stupid Rainbow Monkey would scare him so much, even if it had become a horrific monster.

Meanwhile, a few miles away from Sector V, two other Kids Next Door operatives were out that night, Numbuh 83 (Sonya) and Numbuh 84 (Lee) of Sector W. They were among the youngest of the KND, having been accepted no more than a year ago. The two of them had just come from Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land and Lee had won Sonya a new Rainbow Monkey in a game.

"Oh, Lee," said Sonya, "I just love this Rainbow Monkey. It was so sweet of you to go to all that trouble of throwing a ball at those bottles."

Lee blushed. He never had much in the way of words, being the skillful, silent type. Yet, despite this, Lee and Sonya had become rather close. The sight of the streetlights illuminating the sidewalk gave the night a certain magical feeling for Lee, making him want to hold Sonya's hand...

...until the lights suddenly went out.

"It's dark," Sonya said fearfully. "I don't like the dark!" She then stepped closer to Lee, who did hold her hand, but only to comfort her. Sonya then began to feel safer.

But only until the sound of hoofbeats was faintly heard, which then grew louder accompanied by the sound of demonic braying. Sonya and Lee realized that it couldn't be anything good. That's when they started to run.

The pair ran into a nearby construction site, but with no light they were lost. The sound of hoofbeats grows louder until they finally see the culprit. The terrifying headless cloaked figure rode towards them on its savage steed, then with its prehensile tail, drew its sword.

Lee, more than willing to defend Sonya, stepped in front on her and took out his yo-yo. Lee's main function at Sector W was Tactical Yo-Yo Officer, having become incredibly skilled at using this toy for surprising uses.

But this skill was for naught this time, for with its sword the attacker cut the string of Lee's Yo-yo and a cable holding a platform of cinder blocks in one swipe. Lee then saw a load of cinder blocks falling toward Sonya and himself. Fearing for Sonya's life, Lee jumped over to Sonya and did his best to shield her from the barrage, but it was no use. The both of them were buried in seconds.

The mysterious figure approached Sonya's Rainbow Monkey, which was thrown from her when the blocks hit. With its sword the headless figure hacked off the doll's head, put it into a small sack and returned to its steed, riding off into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

The very next morning at the Sector V treehouse, the alarm sounded, jarring everyone from their sleep. The kids hurredly changed into their dayclothes and rushed for the meeting room. Numbuh 1 activated the transmission screen and Numbuh 362 (Rachel Mckenzie), the supreme leader of the Kids Next Door appeared.

"Sector V!" Numbuh 362 said. "We have a situation!"

"What is it, Numbuh 362?" asked Numbuh 1.

"Numbuh 363 has sent word that Numbuhs 83 and 84 have been found unconscious at a construction site near Sector W!" She responded. "They're both alright aside from some bruises and memory loss, but there's evidence of foul play at the scene."

"What kind of evidence?" asked Numbuh 2.

Numbuh 362 panned her camera to the right to show a headless Rainbow Monkey lying in the dirt. Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 gasped in horror, while Numbuh 3 screamed and fainted into Numbuh 4's arms.

"Numbuh 1," said Rachel. "You and your team are to assist the investigation of the crime scene!"

"Understood, Numbuh 362!" Nigel said while saluting. Nigel, Hoagie and Abby all ran for the hangar, while Wally had to drag the still passed-out Kuki, while still trying to hide the fact that he too was freaked out by what he saw.

At the construction site, the workers were busy cleaning up the mess made by the attack. Also at the site there was a woman in her late-30's. She had the look of a respected businesswoman, and was writing checks of money for the families of Numbuhs 83 and 84, possibly out of sympathy. However, when she saw Sector V's C.O.O.L.B.U.S. flying in, she left immediately.

When the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. landed at the site, the kids all stepped out. All of them noticed an overabundance of hoofprints in the dirt, puzzling all but Numbuh 4, who began to grow uneasy. At that moment, out stepped Numbuh 74.239, one of the KND's top scientists.

"Numbuh 1!" said the young scientist. "I'm so glad you're here! This is incredible!"

"Slow down, Numbuh 74.239," Numbuh 1 said. "Just tell us what you found out."

Numbuh 74.239 cleared his throat. "Of course. Anyway, this is how I have it figured." He pointed to the hoofprints in the dirt, and the mound of cinder blocks. "Judging from the position of where Numbuhs 83 and 84 were found, it looks like they were rode down by their attacker," Numbuh 74.239 pointed at the cut wire and the cut yo-yo in the dirt, "cut both the wire holding the cinder blocks and Numbuh 84's yo-yo in one swipe," finally, he pointed at the headless Rainbow Monkey on the ground. "and rode back to finish his business with the Rainbow Monkey."

Numbuh 74.239 then guided Numbuhs 1 through 5 to the headless Rainbow Monkey. Numbuh 3, however, looked away, not being able to bear such a sight. Numbuh 74.239 then kneeled down, took out his magnifying glass and held to to the toy's severed neck.

"As you can see," said Numbuh 74.239, "there was a very powerful, clean cut to the neck. Also, there were traces of some sort of chemical."

"Chemical?!" Numbuh 4 said suddenly said. But he then felt slightly embarrassed by the weird look he got from his team.

"But that's not all, is it?" Numbuh 1 asked Numbuh 74.239.

"No,it isn't." the young scientist said. "The opening is also cauterized, you know, heat fussing the wound and blood into place-"

Numbuh 3 gasped and suddenly felt faint, but Numbuh 4 stepped over and stopped her from falling.

"Anyway," Numbuh 74.239 continued, "It shows that the blade used was steaming hot. But the weird part is, there's no scorched monkey fur and barely any cotton falling out."

"Hmm," Numbuh 1 said. "It seems we have both a vandal and a madman on the loose."

"Or maybe..." Numbuh 4 tried to say what was on his mind, but how could he say it without sounding stupid?

"Something you want to add, Numbuh 4?" asked Nigel.

"Uh... no." Wally decided to save whatever dignity he had left. Although he could not shake the thought from his mind: What if Stickybeard's story was true?


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

That night, Sector V gratefully retired to bed. However, Numbuh 4 was still was still scared from what he saw today.

_"What's wrong with me?" _he thought. _ "What's so scary about a stupid Rainbow Monkey? I'm just bein' a sissy! I've got to stop!"_

With that, Wally finally fell asleep.

Suddenly, Numbuh 4 found himself in a dark, misty, desolate landscape. He looked around in a vain attempt to find something familiar. Instead, Wally saw a dark, shadowy figure on horseback running toward him, holding a flaming Rainbow Monkey head in its hand. Numbuh 4 ran as fast as he could, but he came to a dead end. At that moment the shadowy figure threw the flaming head at Numbuh 4...

...Then Numbuh 4 awoke.

That morning Numbuhs 1, 2, 3 and 5 were at the breakfast table, and Numbuh 4 walked in, looking sleep-deprived, and sat at the table.

"Hey, Numbuh 4," said Numbuh 2, handing him a box of cereal. "Care for some Rainbow Munchies?"

Numbuh 4 yelped and cowered in fear. He then noticed his teammates looking at him quizzically, and then straightened up .

"Uh... no thanks." Wally said uneasily. "I'll just a bagel." With that, he got up and walked toward the cupboard.

"So anyway," Numbuh 1 said, changing the subject. "Both Numbuh 83 and Numbuh 84 were able to find out who sent money to their families after the accident. Someone named Vanessa Crane."

"What do we know about her?" asked Numbuh 5.

"Well," said Nigel, "she was an old political rival of Father's, back during his political career. Also, she was a personal assistant of Ross Perot during the 1996 election. But despite this, she's shown no evidence of being an evil adult. As well as this, she also owns ownes one of the biggest network companies in the state."

"Sounds like a dead end to me," said Hoagie. "Maybe she just sent the money because no one else would."

"Well, at least there's no new news of more attacks on Rainbow Monkeys." Numbuh 3 said. "It's really a relief, huh, Numbuh 4?" She slightly giggled, but Numbuh 4 was not amused.

"Hey!" yelled Numbuh 4. "I'm not scared of that cruddy no-name psycho! So just shut up about it!"

With that, Numbuh 4 sat at the table with his toasted bagel, but despite what he said, he was still bothered by the recent events. In his mind, Wally believed that Rainbow Monkeys were becoming his new greatest fear.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

It happened again.

Numbuh 4's dad took him to the office. There was nothing on Earth that bored Wally more. However, there were a couple consolations. One was that he didn't get tangled up in another plot to send kids to Pluto. The second was that there was no room full of Rainbow Monkeys this time, so at least he had nothing to be afraid of.

That evening, Numbuh 4 went to the Sector V treehouse. He intended to spend the rest of the day sulking in his room, but on his way there he went through the main living hall, and he noticed that something was different.

Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 were on the middle couch watching a scary movie. At one particulary scary moment, Numbuh 5 scooted a little closer to Numbuh 2, who was holding a bowl of popcorn, and Numbuh 1's hand shook as he drank through a cup with a straw. Nothing unusual to the casual viewer, but to Wally, he couldn't help but get curious.

"Where's Numbuh 3?" Numbuh 4 asked.

"Hmm? Oh, it's you, Numbuh 4," said Nigel, just acknowledging Wally's presence.

"She went to Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land," answered Numbuh 5. "They got some special late opening today."

Numbuh 4 groaned. "Well, then it was a good thing I was with my dad today. No doubt she woulda begged me to go with-"

Suddenly, a look of dread crossed Wally's face. "If Kuki's alone at a cruddy Rainbow Monkey place at night with a whole buncha Rainbow Monkeys..."

Numbuh 4 suddenly rushed out of the room in a panic. Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 watched him leave, not knowing what to make of his behavior.

Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land.

There are those who would call it an example of unnecessary over-hyping. But to kids (especially girls) like Numbuh 3, it was the greatest place in the world.

This time however, the park was not as crowded as usual. Since the park had opened later than usual, many kids had no desire to be there at night,feeling that Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land felt far more fun on sunny days, which created a more happy atmosphere.

Despite this, there were still a significant number of girls at the park, including Numbuh 3, who was having the time of her life. She was busy at a shooting gallery, intending to win another Rainbow Monkey. Down to her last shot, Kuki was more determined than ever to win, and she would have if Numbuh 4 had not suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her away.

"What are you doing Wally?!" Kuki demanded. "I was gonna win!"

"No, Kuki!" Numbuh 4 yelled. "It's time to go!"

"What are you in such a hurry for? It's not yet closing time!"

"I'm not gonna wait another minute while my friend is in the middle of a cruddy Rainbow Monkey theme park waitin' for her had to be chopped off!"

Numbuh 3 felt confused. Her confusion than turned to outrage.

"Don't tell me you believe that crazy Headless Monkey story!" Numbuh 3 snapped.

"All right, I _do_." Wally said, cringing. "Now we gotta get out of here before that monster gets here!"

Kuki crossed her arms in indignation. "Forget it!" she said. "I'm not moving one inch for such nonsense and that's _final!_"

Numbuh 4 felt like exploding with rage at that moment, but instead all the secret feelings he had for Numbuh 3 began to bubble up to the surface. Wally knew that the only way he could save her was to finally say what he always wanted to say.

Wally fell to his knees. "Kuki, please listen to me." As Numbuh 3 looked down at him, tears began to flood his eyes. At that moment he let it all out...

"I love you..."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

"I love you..."

Those were the last three words Numbuh 3 ever expected to hear from Numbuh 4. She looked down at the poor Aussie at her feet with tears in his eyes. Not knowing what to make of this, Kuki simply bent down, hugged him gently and whispered in his ear...

"I will come back to the treehouse with you, Wally," she said.

A great amount of relief filled Wally. As much he always wanted to tell Kuki he loved her, a part of him always dreaded a moment like this. But now that it was finally happening, Numbuh 4 felt like a great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Of course, none of them realized that every girl within thirty feet was watching them.

But the feelings of relief and love were short-lived, for at that moment the whole park was plunged into darkness. Every light went out, every machine ground to a halt, and every girl became panic-struck.

"What's happening, Numbuh 4?!" Kuki yelled over the screams.

"I don't know!" Wally responded.

At that moment, a group of screaming girls came between Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 4, seperating them. Then, a cold breeze set in, followed by a flash of lightning and a roar of thunder. The screaming began to subside as everyone saw a strange mist seeping through the park's entrance.

Then, there was the sound of clopping hoofbeats. The neigh of a horse was heard from a distance. The clopping grew louder, and louder. Numbuh 4's previous fear turned into desperation as he turned his focus to finding Kuki.

"Kuki!" He yelled. "Where are you?!"

Then, riding swiftly from the fog, it finally appeared: The Headless Monkey.

Its body was clad in tight-knit leather-mixed body armor crested with scary bats, gloves, boots and a long black cape. Its steed was a huge, strong, dark unicorn with a long red horn and eyes that flashed with the same color. There were stilts on the saddle, holding the Monkey in place while it rode, due to its small size.

The screaming began anew as everyone scattered out of the way of the charging horror. The Headless Monkey rode at every corner and beheaded a whole row of Rainbow Monkeys with his sword wrapped in his tail. Each head flew into the air and was caught in the undead toy's sack on the satchel.

Then, when the park was almost deserted, the Headless Monkey spotted Numbuh 4 by himself, and charged at him. Numbuh 4 was frozen with fear as the horrible unicorn came closer, its single horn filling his head with unspeakable horrors.

But before the headless terror could run Numbuh 4 over, Numbuh 3 leapt in and tackled him, causing the Monkey to veer off his target. Kuki struggled to keep the Headless Monkey away from Wally, but the unicorn delivered a strong kick that knocked her to the ground. With a clear shot at Numbuh 4, the unicorn fired a powerful blast that hit him squarely in the chest and sent him careening into a concession stand.

Seeing his work done, the Headless Monkey had his demonic steed use its horn to set fire to every ride, game and shop in the park. His sword in sheath, His heads in bag and destruction in its wake, the Monkey rode through the park's exit and into the night.

But also coming through the exit was Numbuh 3, dragging an unconscious and injured Numbuh 4. Wally had a gaping hole in his sweater, exposing his chest, which was covered with bruises. Numbuh 3 wrapped Wally in her arms, crying.

"Numbuh 1!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Numbuh 2! Numbuh 5! Please help!"

There was no immediate response.

"Please hold on, Wally," Kuki said, sobbing. "Please hold on."


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Numbuh 4 slowly opened his eyes. He could tell he was lying down. Judging by the bright light, Wally could tell he was no longer at Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land. But when he tried to move, he felt a shooting pain in his chest and arms. Wally then looked down at his chest and saw it and both his arms wrapped in bandages. He then looked to his right and saw Numbuh 3 in her nurse's outfit, sitting in a chair looking almost sick with worry.

Numbuh 3 suddenly noticed that Numbuh 4 was conscious and her face suddenly brightened. She then sat up from her chair and walked over to Numbuh 4's side.

"Wh-where am I?" Numbuh 4 asked, groggily.

"It's all right, Wally," said Numbuh 3. "You're back at the treehouse."

"Ach... What happened?"

"That monster hurt you, but it was nothing serious. You'll be okay."

Kuki extended her arm to Wally and he tenderly grasped it.

"I'm so sorry," Kuki said.

"For what?" asked Wally.

"For not listening to you," she answered. "I almost got you killed. If I'd only left when you told me..."

"Hey, stop beatin' yourself up," said Numbuh 5. Both Wally and Kuki looked to the medical bay's doorway and saw Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 standing there.

"Yeah, none of us believed that the Headless Monkey was real," said Numbuh 2.

"Uh, how long have you guys been standing there?" asked Numbuh 4, blushing.

"Never mind that," Numbuh 1 said. "Apparently last night's incident caused quite a stir. The whole Kids Next Door is on high alert."

"Not only that, the whole town's afraid to go out at night now," added Numbuh 2.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded. Fortunately, it was only the mail alert, so Numbuh 5 pressed a button, and an envelope passed through a slot in the wall. She then picked up the envelope and read it.

"Huh," Abby said, puzzled. "It's for Numbuh 4."

Abby handed the envelope to Kuki, since Numbuh 4 was unable to hold anything. Numbuh 3 opened it and took out a piece of paper. Since Wally was terrible at reading, she read it to him.

"Dear Wally," Numbuh 3 read aloud. "I want you to know that if you ever need help, I'll be there for you. Love, Vanessa Crane?"

None of the kids knew what to make of this. Why did Vanessa Crane care about Wally so much? And what connection did she have with these past two incidents?

"Hmm, we might have to look into this later," said Nigel. "Right now, we should talk to Stickybeard, see what more he can tell us about this Headless Monkey."

"All right, let's go!" said Numbuh 4. He attempted to sit up, but Numbuh 3 stopped him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're not going anywhere!" Hoagie said.

"Yeah," said Numbuh 5. "Until you're healed you're stayin' here!"

"Speaking of which," said Numbuh 1. "How long until Numbuh 4 can return to duty, Numbuh 3?"

Numbuh 3 looked at a chart on a clipboard. "He should be okay by tomorrow morning."

"Good, because we'll need to be at full strength if we're going to take down this Headless Monkey," Nigel said.

"Aaw, do I hafta lie in this cruddy bed all day?" Wally complained.

"Sorry, Numbuh 4," said Nigel. "But you won't be any good to the situation if you hurt yourself some more!" He then turned to Hoagie and Abby. "Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5, we're going to pay Stickybeard another visit. Numbuh 3, you stay here with Numbuh 4."

With that, Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 left for the hangar while Numbuh 3 remained at Numbuh 4's side.

"Don't worry, Wally," Kuki said. "You'll be up and about in no time." With that she gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now get some rest."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

The next night...

The town junkyard. It turned out that this whole area used to be the Ajax Chemicals building used to be. Although there was mostly scrap metal and old cars, there were still remnants of the building.

It was here where Sector V began their search for the Headless Monkey, acting on information from Stickybeard. All five of them were there, including Numbuh 4. Despite the fact that he was still a little sore, he was well enough to return to duty.

"All right, team," said Numbuh 1. "We're on the Headless Monkey's turf now. Let's split up and look for it."

"Uh, is that really such a good idea?" Numbuh 2 shakily asked.

"This junkyard is huge, Numbuh 2," Nigel said. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. But if any of you do find the Monkey, call for backup! We're going to face it together!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and split up. Three hours passed and nothing significant was reported.

Then, Numbuh 2 came across something noticeable. A giant metal vat filled with junk, like what Stickybeard told of. Hoagie then took out his KND communicator.

"Numbuh 2 here," Hoagie spoke into the device. "I think you'd all better converge on my location."

The whole team honed in on Numbuh 2's tracer and began to investigate the vat. Numbuh 4 then made a discovery.

"Hey, look at this," Wally said. "There's something dribbling from the top. It looks like little bits of cotton."

"This IS cotton," said Numbuh 5. "What's in this vat?"

With that said, everyone began to remove junk from the vat. When enough was cleared they came across a terrifying sight: a huge pile of Rainbow Monkey heads was crammed together in the vat. This time, Numbuh 3 tried her hardest not to faint, no matter how shocked she was.

"Unbelievable!" Nigel said. "It's like a huge cereal bowl!"

"But, why are they all here?" Kuki asked, terrified.

"This vat must be the Headless Monkey's portal," Numbuh 1 answered. "A portal between two worlds."

Numbuh 5 found the courage to look away from the vat, and then spotted something else.

"Hey, look at that trash can!" She said, pointing at an old, dented trash can that was close by.

Numbuh 4 looked in her direction. "Yeah? What about it?" He asked.

"All the other trash cans we found were empty and totaled from the implosion," Abby replied. "But that one looks full and in almost perfect condition."

Wally then walked over to the trash can and dumped out the contents. There was nothing but old wrappers, envelopes, food containers and other garbage. But there was also a fragment of cotton.

"Hmm..." said Numbuh 1. "It must be the same cotton found in the Rainbow Monkeys. There must have been a head in that can, but it was taken!"

"What are you getting at?" Numbuh 2 asked.

"It must have been the Headless Monkey's head!" Nigel answered. "This must be why he rises from the grave, to take heads from Rainbow Monkeys until his own is returned to him!"

Suddenly, Numbuh 1's team began to back away from the vat. Nigel looked behind him and saw that the junk started to MOVE. It was seething, pulling inward, sucking the Rainbow Monkey heads back in and closing. Then a flow of glowing green chemicals was gushing from between the heads and swelling, accompanied by a loud rumbling. At that moment Numbuh 1 jumped down from the vat and joined his team, who were taking cover behind a pile of junk.

From the vat, a greenish glow brightened. Then the vat burst wide, spitting smouldering cinders, and then it appeared.

The Headless Monkey, atop its nightmarish steed exploded into existence and rode off into the junkyard.

"After him!" Numbuh 1 ordered.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 11

The Kids Next Door attempted to give chase, but the Headless Monkey was far too fast.

"Man! That guy must be gettin' his speed from... uh, you-know-where," said Numbuh 4, gasping for breath.

"We shoulda brought the C.O.O.L.B.U.S." Numbuh 5 bemoaned.

"Yeah," Numbuh 2 said. "But I brought along this little beauty."

Numbuh 2 pulled a small box from his pocket. It then extended a small electronic dish. It was known as the R.A.D.A.R. (Reads Anything Destructive And Radioactive) When Hoagie held it out, it began to beep rapidly.

"It went this way!" Numbuh 2 said excitedly. "Come on!"

After minutes of following the trail left by the Headless Monkey, Sector V received a surprise. The trail had led them back to the treehouse.

"This can't be right," said Hoagie. "How could the trail end here?"

"Yeah, it couldn't have gone inside," said Numbuh 3. "Unicorns can't climb trees."

"Unless," said Numbuh 1, "the unicorn can teleport itself and its master inside the treehouse!"

At that moment, sure enough, there was a flash of lightning, a puff of smoke, and with the glow of the unicorn's horn, the Monkey reappeared. He had a Rainbow Monkey head in his hand, which he put into his sack, and rode off into the night.

A terrible thought suddenly entered Numbuh 3's mind, and she ran into the treehouse like a rocket. Numbuhs 1, 2, 4 and 5 followed. They caught up to Numbuh 3 in her room, but when they found her she was stiff with fear at what she saw...

Every Rainbow Monkey in her room was missing its head.

Everyone expected Kuki to cry, but she didn't. She was only startled by what she saw, but to scared to shed a tear. Wally walked over to Kuki and hugged her in hopes of reassuring her.

"Hmm..." said Numbuh 1. "From what we've seen, I don't think that these are just random killings."

"What do you mean?" asked Numbuh 5.

"It's possible that the target is selected by whoever is controlling the Headless Monkey," answered Nigel. "The very person who took its head."

"It could also be someone who really hates the KND," added Numbuh 2.

"Exactly!" Said Numbuh 1. "I have thought of a few suspects, but right now, we should go to bed. We'll continue this investigation tomorrow."

Everyone agreed. Everyone except Numbuh 3, who had slowly fainted from what she saw. While Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 left the room, Numbuh 4 carried Numbuh 3 to the living room. He placed Kuki on the middle couch and threw a blanket over her, hoping she'll be all right in the morning.

That next morning, all of Sector V was at the table, having breakfast. Numbuh 3 had recovered from last night, although she was still disturbed.

"So, Numbuh 1," Numbuh 4 asked, "who do you think is behind this Headless Monkey business?"

"Well, for starters," Numbuh 1 said, "the most unlikely suspect is Stickybeard. Yes, he's an evil adult but he couldn't have brought up the Headless Monkey story 30 years ago."

"On top of that," said Numbuh 5, "he's helping us with the investigation."

"Exactly!" Nigel said. "Then there's the cook from the Ajax factory. He was fired after causing that accident, namely letting a machete fly toward a little girl, which caused Stickybeard to lose his arm and leg."

"But Stickybeard says that the cook never intended revenge for getting fired," said Abby. "He was just full of remorse."

"I still don't know if we should be taking Stickybeard's word for it," Numbuh 2 said.

Suddenly, an object shot through the window and stuck to the wall. It was another candy cane with a piece of paper attached. More information from Stickybeard.

Numbuh 1 grabbed the piece of paper and opened it, revealing it to be a newspaper clipping from the 1970's.

"It's about the incident," Nigel said, "and there's a list of the kids who were on the field trip!"

Everyone gathered around Nigel and read the clipping over his shoulder. The list of names included people who were well known to the KND: Mr. Boss, Genki Sanban, Sonya's mother, both of Numbuh 4's parents and his uncle, Lou Pottingsworth III (aka The Toiletnator), Vanessa Crane, and Monty and Benedict Uno.

"Well, I never told you guys this before," Numbuh 4 said, "but the Toiletnator's always had it in for me ever since I humiliated him at that villain's meeting."

"Well, it_ could _be him," said Numbuh 3.

"No, it couldn't!" Numbuh 4 responded. "That loser's never had the smarts for this kind of job, or the guts!"

"Good point, Numbuh 4," Numbuh 1 said.

"It couldn't have been Mr. Boss," Numbuh 2 said. "Yes, he hates the KND, but he wouldn't want to make his daughter unhappy."

"Therefore," said Numbuh 1, "the Monkey came for the kids of the adults who were kids at the time because someone knew them very personally back then. Someone who stole the head from the junkyard, without which the Headless Monkey can't go back to... you-know-where. Someone who hates the Kids Next Door more than anyone alive, but Sector V more than most."

"Who? Who could it be?" asked Numbuh 2.

"Father."


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Delightful Mansion. Home of the Kids Next Door's greatest enemies, the Delightful Children From Down The Lane. These children were a perfect example of what the KND were fighting against: kids who serve adults completely without question.

That afternoon, Sector V intended to have a word with Father, their father. His ultimate goal was to create a world in which adults had total control, and children had no will of their own.

The kids managed to evade the mansion's outdoor security systems and enter through one of the many opulent windows.

"All right, team," said Numbuh 1, "our mission here is to find Father, and found out-"

Suddenly, a nearby door flung open, revealing the Delightful Children.

"Well, if it isn't the Kids Next Door," they said, always in unison. "We don't recall inviting you lot."

"Skip the pleasantries, Delightful dorks," Numbuh 1 said. "Where's Father?"

"Oh, he isn't here. Perhaps we can help you?"

"Yes, you can. We have reason to believe that Father was behind the Headless Monkey's attack on Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land, and since you bunch are so loyal to him, that would make you accomplices!"

All five of the Delightful Children became shocked and sickened by Nigel's accusations. "How dare you!" they said. "Father would never destroy an amusement park, no matter how ridiculous!"

"What about the Headless Monkey attackin' us?" demanded Numbuh 4. "You know there's nothin' he'd like more than to get rid of us!"

"True," the Delightful Children answered, "but Father would do it personally, or send us to do it, not send some undead toy!"

"That's true," Nigel said, "but how do you explain this?" He then held out the newspaper clipping sent to them by Stickybeard. The Delightful Children quickly read it, and were suddenly dumbfounded. Although Numbuh 4 wasn't known for his intelligence, but he could tell by the look in their eyes that the Delightful Children never knew about the field trip.

"We're wastin' our time, Numbuh 1," said Numbuh 5.

"It seems we are," answered Numbuh 1. With that, the kids turned to leave.

"Wait!" cried the Delightful Children. Numbuh 1 and his team stopped in their tracks. "If you still want to talk to Father, he's going to be at the church tonight. He's attending a big dinner with the other villains."

The Kids Next Door were surprised at the Delightful Children revealing this information, but it seemed that it was because they were heartbroken at what they learned.

"Maybe it wasn't a waste," said Numbuh 2.

"Indeed not," said Numbuh 1. "Prepare yourselves, team. We're going to have a chat with Father."


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Just after sunset, Father was at the park near the church. Even a villain like him could still appreciate the tranquil beauty of trees and grass.

Then he saw Ms. Crane, in a lovely green dress, picking flowers. Despite the fact that she wasn't a villain, Father invited her because she was a friend of the priest's wife.

"Ms. Crane," said Father. "Hurry! Dinner's starting in a few minutes!"

Ms. Crane responded with a annoyed look and continued picking.

Suddenly, Father noticed a dark shadow coming from behind a section of trees. The unicorn and the absence of a head immediately told Father that it was the Headless Monkey he had heard about. The demon was riding right behind the unsuspecting Ms. Crane, brandishing its sword in the curl of its tail. Father grew an expression of horror on his face as his pipe fell from his mouth.

At the church, a good number of villains had arrived for the party, among which were Common Cold, Knightbrace, Mr. Boss, Gramma Stuffum, the Crazy Cat Lady, Stickybeard, Wink & Fibb, and even the least threatening villain, Toiletnator. The priest stood at the doorway welcoming the guests. He did have his qualms about allowing a gathering of villains at his church, but felt too intimidated by them to disallow it.

Sector V was hiding in the bushes lining the church's walk. Tempting as it was to attack the all the villains head-on, they were here for only one villain in particular.

"Now remember, team," Numbuh 1 whispered, "we're just here for Father. So when he comes, throw that fire blanket over him and tie him up!"

Suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, Father came running up the walk in a panic.

"The Headless Monkey's after me!" he screamed.

This news greatly confused Sector V, as well as the other villains, who were in earshot.

Father ran up to the priest. "The Monkey got Ms. Crane in the park!"

The confusion turned to fear and desperation as the Monkey appeared, riding like the wind toward the church. The priest made the sign of the cross, and then noticed Sector V in the bushes. He beckoned them to hurry inside.

"Don't hafta tell us twice!" said Numbuh 5.

The kids, the priest and Father rushed into the church and slammed the doors. Looking out the peephole in the door, they saw that the Headless Monkey stopped at the iron fence surrounding the church, and headed for the refreshment area.

Everyone in the church was in a state of panic. Toiletnator than rushed over to Father and grabbed him, which was uncharacteristic of him.

"What are you doing?!" Toiletnator yelled with a mix of terror and outrage. "You'll doom us all! YOU'RE the one the Headless Monkey wants!"

Numbuhs 2, 3 and 5 were at the windows with various weapons, along with some of Father's teen ninjas, who were in Battle Ready Armor. Among them was Cree Lincoln, Numbuh 5's older sister and Father's apprentice.

Cree Lincoln fled the KND when she turned 13, escaping decommissioning. Her memories were tinged with bitterness toward the KND and hatred toward her sister.

"Just so we're clear, crabigail," Cree said with a whiplash in her voice, "this doesn't change anything!"

"Just shaddup and shoot the monster, Cree!" Numbuh 5 responded.

Numbuh 5 felt very little love for her sister, but at times she couldn't help wondering: was the KND's decommissioning policy what sent her into Father's arms?

Sector V and the teens fired their weapons at the Headless Monkey, attempting to fend him off, but to no avail. Then, the Monkey's unicorn used its horn to fire a beam from its horn at the church, but surprisingly, the beam stopped just a few inches from the wall. Nigel saw this and turned to the panicked crowd.

"It's all right!" Nigel yelled. "The unicorn's beam can't penetrate the wall!"

Hearing this, Toiletnator nervously released his grip on Father and brushed him off, hoping that he would forget this little incident.

But the newfound sense of optimism was short-lived, as Numbuh 1 and his team saw that the Monkey found a heavy winch on a cable truck and grabbed the hook. What was he up to?

Many of the villains were still screaming and shouting, and Father decided he'd finally had enough. He burst into a great flame and yelled "_SHUT UP!_"

Everyone went silent and turned their attention to Father, feeling obviously intimidated by his outburst.

"There's no need to panic," Father said. "We're here to have a superlative dinner, and that's just what we're gonna do!"

Suddenly, a cable broke through the window and loosed itself around Father's waist like a lasso. Then, he was pulled out of the church with such great might that his black bodysuit was torn right off.

Underneath that black suit, Father wasn't very intimidating. He was simply Benedict Uno, just an ordinary adult with suspenders, bow tie and glasses, not the type you would expect to be a villain.

Outside the safety of the church, Benny was now at the mercy of the Headless Monkey. After he managed to remove the cable from his waist, Benny saw the Monkey riding toward him. He flinched, closed his eyes, and raised his arms to defend himself, and at that moment, the Headless Monkey drew its sword with its tail and... _slash._

Everyone watched from the church in horror, but that horror turned to surprise when they saw that Benny was not decapitated. Benedict opened one eye and saw that instead the Headless Monkey cut his suspenders. As the Monkey ran off into the night, Benny's pants fell, revealing his boxers, causing everyone in the church to laugh their heads off.

Everyone except Numbuh 1, that is. "_Why would the Headless Monkey go to so much trouble just to make Father a target of ridicule?_" he wondered.

Nigel then turned to his team, who were still laughing. He was forced to drag them all out of the church so he could discuss the situation with them, but they were still laughing.

"Will you all shut up?!" Numbuh 1 yelled. Numbuhs 2, 3, 4 and 5 all stopped laughing. "We have to get to the bottom of this! We need to go to the park and find out what happened to Ms. Crane!"

With that Sector V left for the park, this time with feelings of seriousness.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

"What's the point in finding out what happened to Ms. Crane?" asked Numbuh 2. "Father said the Headless Monkey got her!"

"Yes," said Numbuh 1, "but there may be some valuable clues!"

When Sector V arrived at the park, they came across a gruesome sight: a long green dress with what looked like bones inside them. All that was missing was her head. Numbuh 3 turned to Numbuh 4 and hugged him, hoping for comfort.

"Oh, my..." Numbuh 5 said, horrified. "That's so..."

"Hang on," said Numbuh 4, having spotted something suspicious. "Isn't that a price tag on her hand?"

All of Sector V gathered around the body's hand and saw the tag, causing great confusion for all of them.

"It is!" said Numbuh 1, ripping the tag off. "This skeleton is a prop, and it's registered to Bill's Costume Shop!"

Horror then struck the team. "But... if Ms. Crane's corpse is a fake," said Numbuh 2, "then... that means..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, there was a knock at the front door of the Beatles' residence. Both Mr. and Mrs. Beatles answered it and were shocked to see who it was.

It was Vanessa Crane. This time she had a bun in her brown hair, and a red and black dress. Her eyes were icy blue, with intensity to pierce the soul.

"Sidney, Jenny," Vanessa said. "How nice it is to see you again."

Both Mr. and Mrs. Beatles fainted from what they saw. With a wicked smile, Vanessa ordered her limo driver to put them both inside.

"We're going to get reacquainted," she said, "at the harbor."

Sector V raced to the Beatles house, only to see the limo screeching away.

"We're too late!" cried Numbuh 4. "Mum, Dad..."

"Not yet we're not!" said Numbuh 2 with gusto. He then took a small device out of his pocket and pressed the button, which caused the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. to speed to their location.

"Don't worry, Numbuh 4" said Numbuh 1. "We'll save them!"

"I don't know what Crane intends to do to them," Numbuh 4 said. "But I'm gonna find out!"


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

While the Kids Next Door were racing to the rescue, Vanessa Crane and Mr. and Mrs. Beatles were at the docks. Numbuh 4's parents were unconscious and tied to a hook dangling from a chain in a secluded spot behind some crates, while Vanessa had started a small fire, and put a lock of Mr. Beatles' hair in it.

"Rise up once more, my dark avenger," Vanessa whispered in a commanding tone, "rise once again to do my bidding. Rise again to come for Sydney and Jenny, and anyone who stand in my way!"

At that exact moment, at the junkyard, the old vat glowed green again. Then the Headless Monkey and its demonic steed reemerged and galloped toward their destination.

Then, Mr. and Mrs. Beatles began to wake up. When they saw Vanessa Crane, they did not suspect foul play, since both of them were known to be clueless when faced with danger, like the time they and Joey were kidnapped by the Dodgeball Wizard.

"Well, g'day, Nessie!" said Mr. Beatles. "Haven't seen you for a bit!"

"What you got planned for us this time?" asked Mrs. Beatles.

"Um, just a little stunt involving my... new lawyer," said Vanessa, playing along and stroking an old, ragged, yellow backpack. "You'll like him, he's great with kids, so I invited Wallabee and his friends."

"Well, I hope it doesn't take too long," Mrs. Beatles said. "Baby Joey will wonder where we've gone."

"Oh, don't worry," Vanessa said. "This'll be over so fast it'll knock you all_ dead_."

As Vanessa left the Beatles hanging, Mr. Beatles yelled to her, "Hey, no hard feelin's eh?"

She turned and replied, "no hard feelings," hiding a clenched fist behind her back.

Suddenly, the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. arrived at the docks, just as the Headless Monkey arrived. When the aircraft's lower hatch opened, a large claw reached out and grabbed Numbuh 4's parents and brought them inside. But then the Monkey dismounted his unicorn and cut that hook and chain and used it to grapple the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s back landing gear. The Headless Monkey held on tight as Sector V unknowingly took him with them.

Vanessa apparently didn't want to miss out on this, so she mounted the unicorn and took out her cell phone.

Hitting a speed dial she said, "Nancy, I'm gonna be late. Tell the board to start without me."

"Take us to the junkyard, Numbuh 2," ordered Numbuh 1.

"Roger that," Numbuh 2 replied.

As Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 5 untied Mr. and Mrs. Beatles, Numbuh 4 ran up to them and gave them the biggest hug he could give. But this tender moment ended when Numbuh 1 stepped over.

"Mr. and Mrs. Beatles," said Numbuh 1, "I know you just had a traumatic experience..."

"Traumatic?" Mr. Beatles said incredulously. "We were just meetin' our old friend Nessie!"

"Um, right," Nigel said. "But still can you tell us anything about her? Why she would hate you?"

"Well," said Mr. Beatles. "Nessie used to be my girlfriend and Jenny's best friend from the Kids Next Door and school... until she accused Jenny of 'stealin' me away from her."

"An' I remember goin' on that field trip with Nessie to Ajax chemicals," said Mrs. Beatles. "Some stupid cook cut the head of my Rainbow Monkey. Nessie even had that same old backpack with her just now."

"_Your _Rainbow Monkey?" asked Numbuh 1. "That same backpack must contain the Monkey's head." Nigel began to sort things out in his mind. "On the day Vanessa was decommissioned, just before her memory of the KND was sucked away, she must've made a pact with... you-know-who, in exchange that he would raise the Monkey from the chemical vat to avenge her. Thus, the Headless Monkey was born, though it lay dormant for 30 years."

"Headless Monkey?" said Mr. Beatles. "Anyway, years later, Nessie got unwittingly reacquainted with me an' Jenny after college. She thought she had me to herself again, but he I already dating Jenny. Nessie's heart was broken when I proposed to Jenny.

"Yeah," said Mrs. Beatles. "I guess it was cruel to make her a bridesmaid at the weddin'."

"So, once again, she vowed revenge but didn't know how to enact it." said Numbuh 1. "But that all must've changed when she found her old backpack with the Rainbow Monkey head. It must've jump-started her memory of the deal she made, and then she saw her chance at revenge."

Numbuh 1 then took out a file on Vanessa's family, the Rainbow Monkey Corporation and her old psych profile. "It turns out Vanessa Crane always hated Rainbow Monkeys. Why? Because they were the product of her family's rival company. When she found out that the son of the previous entrepreneur-who went on the same field trip as she did-took over the family business shortly after his dad passed away, she realized that this was the time to use the company's own product against them. Cut off a few heads, destroy merchandising property, and get kids too scared to want another Rainbow Monkey."

"As for Mr. Boss, Numbuh 83's mom and Mrs. Sanban, they were friends of Vanessa as well, until they 'betrayed her' by supporting the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Beatles. Also, they gave their daughters their very favorite stuffed toys, so she saw another job for the Monkey. She apparently regretted causing Numbuhs 83 and 84 injury, wanting to just scare them, otherwise she wouldn't have written those checks to their families."

Nigel then turned attention to Wally. "Vanessa must have sent the Headless Monkey to attack Numbuh 4 in an attempt to make Mrs. Beatles regret 'stealing' Mr. Beatles away from her. I can only imagine her surprise when it turned out Numbuh 4 believed Stickybeard's story from the beginning." Wally rolled his eyes.

"Finally, as for Father, he and Crane were always bickering over politics, since she was a personal secretary to Ross Perot. So she decided to scare Father by pretending to be dead and publicly humilate him."

"Well, she can't still be mad," said Mr. Beatles. "She did invite us to this great show!"

"So," said Numbuh 1 "we just have to get the Monkey head away from Miss Crane and take it to the junkyard! That should send the Headless Monkey back to its grave!"

Suddenly, the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. felt a terrific jolt. Needless to say, Sector V's task at hand was about to get harder.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

Numbuhs 1, 3, 4 and 5, along with Mr. and Mrs. Beatles, ran to the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s rear window and saw the source of the disturbance: the Headless Monkey was climbing the chain hooked onto the aircraft.

Numbuh 2 tried swerving the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. to dislodge the unwanted passenger, but to no avail.

"That's it!" yelled Numbuh 4. "I've had it with that Headless freak!" He then pulled down the ladder to the top hatch, and before anyone could stop him, Wally climbed out onto the roof.

"Numbuh 4! Wally! Don't!" Cried Numbuh 3, but Wally didn't respond.

"Crikey!" said Mr. Beatles. "This show just gets better an' better!"

Just as the Headless Monkey climbed onto the roof, Numbuh 4 was waiting for him, and he never felt more ready.

"Look here!" Numbuh 4 said to the Monkey, "I'm not about to let a cruddy, stupid dead Rainbow Monkey take away my parents!"

The Headless Monkey responded by unsheathing its sword in its tail.

"And I know I can't stop you with 2x4 weapons, so I guess I'll just hafta improvise!"

The Headless Monkey lunged his sword at Wally, but he managed to dodge it. Again and again the Monkey tried to decapitate Numbuh 4, but his agility kept proving an advantage. Then, Wally was grabbed by the throat and the demon tried to strangle him to death, but Wally broke loose by punching the Monkey in its nonexistent gut.

As the aircraft finally entered the junkyard, in one final effort, Numbuh 4 charged at the Headless Monkey and knocked them both off of the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. Numbuh 3 watched in terror as they crash-landed into a pile of soda cans and plastic containers. Fortunately, Numbuh 4 was on top of the Monkey and was mostly shielded from the impact.

"Heh, somehow I knew that would work," said Numbuh 4 with a nervous laugh.

But Numbuh 4's optimism was short-lived, as the Headless Monkey arose from the wreckage. He then kicked Numbuh 4 so hard, it sent him careening into a disused car trunk.

The C.O.O.L.B.U.S. finally landed in the junkyard, and the Monkey began to walk toward it. At that moment the unicorn, carrying Ms. Crane, arrived, wearing an old, ragged, yellow backpack. She dismounted and prompted the unicorn toward the kids and Mr. and Mrs. Beatles, who exited the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. to look for Wally.

But before they could start, the unicorn came up to them and used hypnosis to put them all into a trance, filling them with similar horrors Wally witnessed at Rainbow Monkey Sugar Land.

When Numbuh 4 managed to escape from the trunk, he saw the Headless Monkey walking toward his hypnotized parents and friends. Wally immediately took to his feet and reached them before the Monkey could.

But suddenly, Wally was grabbed by the shirt by Ms. Crane, who dragged him up and brought them both face-to-face, while holding her backpack in her other hand. "Well done on your clever maneuver against the Monkey," she said, "but it's not enough to save your parents, or your friends, or yourself for that matter."

Ms. Crane then dangled Wally in the direction of his teammates and his parents. He saw the Headless Monkey still walking toward them while the unicorn kept them in a trance.

"Oh, don't worry about little Joey," Ms. Crane said. "I'll take good care of him, once I've adopted him as my own!"

Ms. Crane began laugh in evil triumph. But then, Numbuh 4 spotted a half-empty flower sprayer next to them. Vanessa opened her eyes while laughing, but suddenly stopped when she saw an empty hooded jacket in her hand. She looked down and saw a shirtless Numbuh 4, who then sprayed Vanessa in the eyes with the flower-sprayer.

As Ms. Crane screamed in agony, she dropped her backpack, which Numbuh 4 took. He then opened it and sure enough, it contained an old, dusty, Rainbow Monkey Head.

The Headless Monkey climbed atop a mound of garbage to get at head's length of Numbuh 4's parents. He unsheathed his sword, held it with his tail and went for a killing arc. But before the Headless Monkey could go for the kill...

"Hey, you stupid, cruddy, dead monkey! Catch!"

The Headless Monkey turned to see a shirtless Aussie boy throwing a very familiar object towards him. He caught his long-lost head, sheathed his sword and held the head out, bringing it to his shoulders... to its rightful place.

Suddenly, thunder roared as the Monkey's reformation continued. Soft, fresh fabric formed, the color slowly became brighter, and howling in pain he fell to the ground, and blocked Wally's view with his cape.

Finally, the moaning stopped. The Monkey stood up. He turned around to Numbuh 4 to show his restored head from 30 years ago, only to have a mouth full of scary, serrated teeth.

The Monkey then looked at Mrs. Beatles, who was still in a trance along with her husband and Wally's teammates. He suddenly remembered the girl who used to be his owner. Numbuh 4 saw the Monkey give a look that almost looked like remorse.

Then, the Monkey remounted his unicorn, and silently commanded it to break the trance. Free of their hypnosis, Sector V and Wally's parents watched as the Monkey approached Ms. Crane, who finally cleared her vision from the flower sprayer.

Vanessa looked in horror when she saw that her slave had gotten his head back. The Monkey gave her a toothy smile and aimed his unicorn at her. The horn then unleashed a green mist on Ms. Crane, causing her to scream and close her eyes as certain horrors filled her head. Then suddenly, a flowing white apparition of her 13-year old self appeared, and entered her body.

"Ooh, these are some chillin' special effects," said Mr. Beatles, still thinking it was just a show.

"It has to be... Vanessa's soul," said Numbuh 1 in awe. "The Monkey is giving it back to her!"

Vanessa fainted as her soul finished entering her body. Then, the Monkey reeled in his unicorn, shouted a battle cry, and finally, the two of them rode into the chemical vat, closing the portal. This time, permanently.

"It's over," said Numbuh 2.

"Yeah, it's finally over!" Numbuh 5 responded.

Numbuh 4 was still having feelings of fear and amazement when Numbuh 3 ran up and hugged him, with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, I love you Numbuh 4!" Kuki kept ranting while kissing Wally repeatedly. This time, Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 were watching, along with Numbuh 4's parents.

"Ooooh! I think I think I hear weddin' bells!" Mrs. Beatles quietly said to her husband. Although, Numbuh 4 did hear that, making him blush even more.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

The next morning, the kids of Sector V started their day like any other...

Wake up, have a shower (though not every morning), and gather at the table for breakfast.

Even after last night, this morning's routine was no different. Although Numbuh 4 still hated Rainbow Monkeys, he joined his team in enjoying a bowl of Rainbow Munchies. Numbuh 1 was reading the latest _KND Times _newspaper to see what was written about their adventure.

"So, what's it say, Numbuh 1?" asked Numbuh 2.

"Well," replied Numbuh 1, "it says that Vanessa Crane is being taken to a mental institution. Apparently she's still raving about what happened."

"Well then," Numbuh 5 said, "it's a good thing was still unconscious when we took her to the cops."

"I still can't believe that my parents don't realize she tried to kill them," lamented Numbuh 4. "I mean, I heard they actually wished her a fun time."

"Oh, and I looked into Ms. Crane's family as well," Nigel said. "She has a brother, Jonathan, I think, who's gone insane as well. They might even be in the same asylum."

"Oh, and I just heard from Sector W," Numbuh 3 said. "Numbuhs 83 and 84 are fully recovered, but they also remember everything from that night."

"Well, at least it's all behind them now," Hoagie replied.

Suddenly, an object flew threw the window and became impaled onto the table. It was Stickybeard's calling card: a candy cane arrow with a message attached.

Abby took the note off the candy cane and read it. "It says Stickybeard has a copy of our official report of his involvement in this case and the news clippings." She said. "And he's hopin' for a book deal."

"Well, I sure hope that's the last time he sends us one of those." Said Numbuh 2.

"So, what about you and Numbuh 3, Numbuh 4?" Numbuh 1 asked cautiously.

"Oh, we're gonna go to a movie tonight," said Wally

"Yeah," said Kuki, holding Wally's hand. "We decided that it's time to get serious about us. To me, Rainbow Monkeys and that Headless Monkey are now just secondary to Wally."

"Well, that's great!" said Numbuh 1.

"You're not gonna tease us?" asked Numbuh 4.

"No way!" Numbuh 2 said. "We think it's great!"

"Besides," said Numbuh 5, "it ain't impossible for a relationship to work in these circumstances." Abby looked at Hoagie when she said that, but looked away when he turned to look at her. She slightly blushed.

For Sector V, this was the end of an era.

END TRANSMISSION


End file.
